


Kindness is a Weakness

by forballum



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Drug Dealing, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Smut, Homophobia, M/M, although its not much of a stretch, ballum - Freeform, ballum is completely legal and of age though, highway vs mitchell, underage mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25240105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forballum/pseuds/forballum
Summary: When Stuart Highway double-crosses Phil Mitchell, landing Jay Brown in prison and placing his own brother in the crossfire, revenge is the only option left as the Mitchell patriarch enlists Ben to clean up the mess. Desperate to impress his dad and prevent a civil war breaking out in Walford, Ben kidnaps Callum and forces him to reluctantly share the burden of their families' addiction to crime and one-upping each other.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell, Paul Coker/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	1. The Beginning

“BEN GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!” Contemplating feigning complete deafness, Ben rolls his eyes at his father’s bellowing before dropping his laptop back on his bed and dragging his feet down the stairs. He just about opened the door to the lounge before Phil was shoving a newspaper in his face. “We’ve got a problem and you’re gonna fix it, understood?” Ben blinked a few times, he could barely see the words on the headline because Phil was holding it so close to his face, but he could make out the word MITCHELL and it didn’t take a genius to guess that it wouldn’t be news of a knighthood.

“Woah, dad, wait a second, calm down alright, what’s happening? Pass it here.”

**WELL KNOWN MITCHELL ASSOCIATE ARRESTED**

_After years of tracking and hundreds of unsuccessful attempts, Walford Police have finally gained a hold on Walford’s most reputable families. Jay Brown, pictured below, was taken into custody this morning after evidence was provided to Walford Police regarding a relationship with a 14 year old school-girl. Should the case be followed through, this would mark a huge dent in the reputation of Walford’s biggest gang family, who police have not yet been able to form a reliable case against. The new evidence comes from an “anonymous but reliable” source, who’s been closely working with the local police service for around six months, in order to finally bring Walford out of Mitchell ownership._

He sighed at his brother’s mugshot and paparazzi photos that plastered the front page. “What the fuck? Is this a joke, how? This is ridiculous, Jay wouldn’t do that? Who’s done this? Dad?” Phil took a deep breath.

“The Highway deal, went completely south, tried to take us for mugs, I’d bet my liver that motherfucker is behind this, you know he used to hunt them lot, be easy for him to fake a story. Now I need you to step up for me this time, Ben. I’ve got to go sort another deal, talk to them and even the ground before they get wind of this, so I need you to sort this out for me, alright?” Ben was lowkey thrilled at the opportunity, he tried to hide the glint in his eyes as his brain processed the chance to finally prove himself to his father. Also taking note that he’d been chosen for the task and not adopted-favourite-son Keanu, despite the gold star on his uniform and permission to marry the boss’s daughter.

“Course, course I’ll sort it, Jay’s family, can’t let him rot in a cell while Stuart Highway shags his bird at home can I?”

“Knew I could count on you, son.”

____

Ben doesn’t need to do too much research to learn about Stuart Highway, his dad has done a couple deals with him before, but since Stuart moved back to Walford, with his brother and ‘girlfriend’, it seemed that deals with the Mitchells weren’t his priority. It was also easy to work out that the Highway family were a family of routine, Stuart going to work 9-5, then occasionally popping to the station on a Wednesday evening. His girlfriend, who Ben could only tell was his girlfriend by the fact that she had a baby with her 4/7 days a week and rarely left the flat. Other than that she could’ve easily passed as a hooker that Stuart just took a fancy to and keeps paying. The younger Highway brother is equally in routine, working at the funeral parlour below his flat, getting breakfast and lunch at the caff on alternating days, sometimes with a girl, Whitney, who he doesn’t always look thrilled to see but they seem content enough. No children, employed close to home, easy enough to access, definitely the most attractive of the three, Ben could barely believe he shared any DNA with his bald-headed freak of a brother, but then again he supposedly shared DNA with Ian Beale so it’s understandable.

He wasn’t worried about Jay too much, he’d be out soon enough, and Mitchells are trained in dealing with coppers as soon as they’re old enough to shoplift. He is slightly worried about dealing with the Highways though, the last deal he remembers his dad doing with them was with Jonno, granted he wasn’t as clever or infamous as Phil, but back in the day he knew how to get people to do what he wanted. Ben shudders at the memory of being held over a bridge aged six by Martin Fowler, who’d been “employed” by said Highway at the time. Jonno had taken his daughter and blamed Phil. Ben doesn’t consider why his dad still does deals with the family that wanted to throw his toddler son off a bridge, if he wanted to do that he’d be in therapy, not cleaning up the mess of the older generation.

___

“HEY GET OFF OF ME”

“Shut up, pretty boy, just do what I say alright” Callum keeps struggling, Ben’s grip now tightening round his neck and he finds himself being wrestled against a car. “Look I didn’t wanna do this but you’re being difficult, sorry mate.”

Callum wakes up in what appears to be a warehouse, his lip is bleeding and he has a black eye, but mostly he just aches. He’s been gagged and tied with rope to a chair. He can hear muffled voices, echoing throughout the warehouse, just loud enough to pick up as they start to approach him.

“Ben what’s this all about? I was in the middle of a business meeting so this better be damn good.”

“It is, I promise, just go in there” Ben is almost giddy with pride, like a child showing off their artwork and waiting for their mum to proudly display it on the fridge for everyone to see. Phil doesn’t provide this desired reaction though, staring at Callum with a blank expression and deafening everyone with his silence.

“Ben. Who the fuck is this?”

“Oh dad dad dad, OBVIOUSLY, it’s Stuart Highway’s brother! If anyone will be able to tell you what Uncle Fester’s got on Jay, and remind him not to cross a Mitchell, it’s him. Also every threat needs a cute hostage right, would’ve gone for his girl but I’m not convinced they’re gonna last the week, think he’s still paying her if you get my drift.” Phil looks at Ben in disbelief, Callum can feel the blood on his face drying with every second that passes.

Since Stuart returned to the square, Callum had attempted to stay as much out of his business as possible when living in the same flat. They’ll go for coffee and watch TV together and chat football and the occasional news item, but work and alcohol are off limits. So Callum does what he does best, sits in silence and waits, pretending he’s not in pain, the same way he waited for Jonno to finish yelling or throwing bottles or drinking or beating him when we was a kid, he’ll sit and wait now, internally rolling his eyes trying not to consider what his brother may or may not have done now.

Phil smiles at Ben after a moment, debating a reaction but hoping for the best. “Well, what can I say?” He claps his hands together “Give us five minutes then, son, if this is who you say it is, it shouldn’t take that long, should it?” Ben is kind of disappointed with the reaction, a disappointment he’s used to but a disappointment nonetheless. He nods and obliges, walking out of the room, leaving his dad with Callum. He can hear muted sounds of Callum pandering as soon as the gag is taken off.

____

The garage door slams shut again, Phil on the outside this time, Ben stands to face him, not-indifferent to a soldier standing to salute his captain. The younger Mitchell breaks the silence, still naively hopeful for some sort of reward, a gold star for his efforts or even just a thank you would suffice. “Well?” Phil’s expression doesn’t change as he walks past Ben, only turning for a second to acknowledge his question.

“Well? He knows fuck all Ben, clueless as well as thick, all you’ve done is created more work now I’ve gotta call Grant to sort him out so he doesn’t go telling.”

“What? Wait? Of course he knows stuff, he lives in the same house!”

“Well you live in the same house as me and Keanu but you don’t seem to learn anything. Oh, and on the subject of things you’ve completely missed, he’s a fucking baby copper. So before you go saying we don’t need to call Grant, I’m not having old bill snooping around anymore, it’s bad enough they’ve got Jay. Who, for the record, I’ve now got to call Ritchie about because you’ve messed that up as well.” Ben’s jaw drops more at every word, feeling a stab in his heart with every dig his dad makes. You’d think after 23 years of them you’d get some sort of immunity, but his father’s comments still hurt just as much as the slaps and insults he got as a six year old when he showed up in Walford that fateful day. Phil keeps walking, just as he’s about to turn the corner, Ben finally manages to get his words out.

“Give me 24 hours. Please, he knows more than he’s letting on I promise. I won’t let you down again.”

“You’re lucky Grant’s in Newcastle on a job, you have until he gets back, two days tops. I don’t want to hear from you unless it’s to deliver my money and bring Jay home. And I still want Halfway in there disposed of.”


	2. Chapter 2

Ben kicks the door to the Arches back open, causing Callum to flinch slightly with his remaining energy. “Proud of yourself are you?”  
“I ain’t doing this again.” Callum spits blood out of his mouth as he talks but he’s relatively calm, despite his obvious exhaustion. He’s clearly been trained for hostage situations, honestly Ben should’ve spotted it when he kidnapped him in the first place.   
“Not really up to you is it, love?” Ben attempts to hide the frustration behind his humour, but he knows if this kid wasn’t so attractive he’d have blood on his hands too. “The way I see it, and the way you should too if you value living, is that I just saved your life. So you owe me one.” Callum shakes his head, smiling in disbelief at the arrogance of his attacker.   
“And how’d you work that one out? Your daddy didn’t seem that impressed with you when he stormed out of here, so sorry I couldn’t be of more help but I’d just give in now, go find someone else to take your anger out on.”  
“Oh so you do have actual thoughts? That’s funny, because you couldn’t think of anything to say earlier. Now, maybe my dad just didn’t want you to know shit because he’s so desperate to see me fail, so I’ll have a go.” Ben gets right up in Callum’s face, grabbing his hair to make him face him. “What the fuck does your goblin of a brother think he’s doing crossing the Mitchells?”   
“I ain’t his keeper. Get off of me.” Ben grabs his hair tighter, causing Callum to whimper and Ben to smirk, pulling his head up again, not missing the split second where Callum’s eyes lingered slightly too long on Ben’s lips. Ben’s laughter cuts through all of Callum’s defences, the confident backchat now replaced with a look of fear, pleading with the universe to let him erase the past few moments from history. The Mitchell boy looks his hostage up and down, smirking, checking him out, admittedly not for the first time, before moving a few inches away and whispering three words guaranteed to break the elder.   
“I smell queer.” Callum attempts to fight out of his restraints, Ben’s words releasing an anger and strength inside of him that finally allow him to break from the chair, not as gracefully as he’d like as he plummets to the floor, shuffling backwards away from Ben until he reaches the wall to help him up. Ben turns on the spot, smiling at the revelation, watching the tears fall from Callum’s eyes as he attempts to back away. “And suddenly it all falls into place, I bet you loved the army, same as me in prison, all those hotties having communal showers, all that pent up testosterone, I bet you was very popular.” Callum unleashes on Ben again, punching him square in the face so he falls into the desk behind him, his anger shaken only by Ben’s unnerving laughter that continues despite the pain. 

“ooh, prettiest girl at the party and you can prove it with a solid right hook? Gonna kiss it better for me?” Callum can’t believe what he’s hearing, he’s finally found a voice that drowns out the sounds of his dad in his head and it’s almost worse? A voice so unashamed and fearless and smug?   
“SHUT UP. Shut up. PLEASE JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME GO.”   
“Aww, babe, Babe” Ben stands up again, still giggling, “Doors open, no-one’s keeping you, but remember, think you owe me two favours now. And don’t think I didn’t notice your poundshop knuckle duster, funny, I was born into this business so I’ve had my fair share of people under me, if you’ll pardon the pun. Please, I’ve got a wife and kids, they’ll say, please don’t hurt my girlfriend wah wah wah, but you? Almost like you’ve forgotten she exists, your pockets been vibrating for an hour and not once did you attempt to check it, so either you’re in trouble with the wifey or you’re into some kinky shit, but she doesn’t know about that does she, Cal?”   
“NO I AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THAT, I ain’t nothing like you, I love her, she’s…”  
“She’s what? Is she beautiful Cal? Lovely? Come on I’ve heard more convincing scripts in reality shows.”  
“Don’t call me that. Just leave it alright, I don’t know anything about what Stuarts done, I can’t help you.”  
“Oh I think you can, see, a gay Mitchell, it don’t work Cal, and well, you saw, my dad’s even less impressed with me right now, so you’ve really gotta step up for me here, or” Ben takes a step closer to Callum and draws a line across his neck. “So here’s what’s gonna happen, you’re gonna skip home to your little girlfriend and your bald ogre of a brother, you’re gonna play nice and you’re gonna get my bruv out the nick. I don’t give a flying fuck whether you get your useless oaf of a sibling to admit he faked the evidence, or whether you have to give your boss the best blowjob of his life, either way you’ve got 24 hours.” Callum goes to argue, but Ben puts his fingers to his lips, “and THEN, you’re gonna get your brother to send my dad the money he owes, and the interest. He’ll know what you’re on about.”  
“I can’t do that” Ben flattens his lips again  
“Shame, 24 hours, your life and your dirty little secret are safe with me. For now, Halfway.” He winks, before reaching into Callum’s pocket to grab his phone, sliding his hand slightly too far over for comfort, not missing how Callum bites his lip. He inputs his number, feeling Callum’s stare over him. “I’ll be in touch.” Callum snaps back into the moment, snatching his phone back and storming out of the Arches.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have reached smut. Sort of. sorry

It’s evening when Callum gets home, deciding against going to the Vic to drown the day away, not sure exactly what he’ll tell people who ask why he’s got a black eye and is walking with a slight limp. Instead he goes straight back to the flat, ignoring the sounds coming from his brother’s bedroom as he bangs on the door, yelling in a way so uncommon for the young Highway.

“Stuart, STUART OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!” The sounds from the bedroom halt for a split second, enough time for him to bang on the door again before his brother answers.

“Uhm, bit busy at the minute bruv.”Stuart’s lack of care and Rainie’s muted laugh do nothing to calm Callum down and make him want to wait, instead yelling again.

“Stu you have sixty seconds to open this door and tell me why you decided it was a good idea to doublecross Phil fucking Mitchell of all people? It’s literally on day one of training round here, leave the Mitchell’s alone.” The silence returns, interrupted only by Rainie’s shrill voice.

“You’ve done what!?” She pushes Stuart off of her and forces him to put a dressing gown on, Callum still stood tense behind their door, moving only when he hears the handle go and his brother emerges with his head down in shame.

“Look it’s not what it sounds li…” He looks up to face his still frozen brother “bruv what the fuck happened to your face?” Callum double blinks at him, knowing Rainie would’ve put the clues together by now but deciding to pick his battle here.

“You tell me! I don’t know what you’ve done Stu but you need to put an end to it and give Phil whatever you owe him.” He’s calming down now, more through exhaustion than empathy, but Stuart should be grateful either way.

“I can’t, that boys already in processing I can’t do shit now, anyway he deserves it! Fucking nonce.” Stuart can tell Callum is less than impressed with his reasoning.

“And what about Phil’s money eh?”

“He should check his clientele more carefully next time.” Stuart shrugs in return, gaining a look of disbelief and head-shaking from his younger brother, who’s now questioning whether his brother’s brain is always this useless, and that it’s no surprise this happened.

“STU. ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?”

“What!? Someone needs to man up and take him down a notch or two, thinking he runs this place, it’s about time they got taken down, fucking Mitchells, do you know how much business they cost me!?”

“You’re gonna start a civil war Stuart, and people are gonna end up dead. You need to sort this out, retract your statement and give Phil his money back, before innocent people get hurt.” Callum storms into the kitchen, leaving Stuart stood in the doorway, opening his mouth to beg forgiveness, but Callum doesn’t let him, simply states “Sort. It.” and puts the kettle on.

\---------

The next day, Callum goes to work early, desperate to take his mind off the whole Mitchell situation, letting the naïve part of his brain believe for a bit that Stuart will follow the instructions and it’ll all be over before he can even say the name “Ben Mitchell.” After a cup of hot chocolate and half a film, he’d called it a day last night, telling himself that his girlfriend wouldn’t have even noticed his absence and that his black eye would fade by morning. The notifications on his phone and the dry blood on his face told a different story when he was woken by his alarm at 6am however.

He makes it until 9am undisturbed, managing even to pop to the café when it opened to get a bacon sarnie for breakfast. He’d just finished a bite when the bell on the door went, and taking a deep breath, looked up and saw the look of concern on Whitney’s face, not dissimilar to those of the usual customers who have the unfortunate task of choosing a coffin. Callum doesn’t miss the slight tinge of annoyance that highlights her expression though, but she hides it well with her immediate worry. “Oh my God Callum! What’s happened to your face? Are you okay??”

“Whit I’m fine, just leave it alright, can we talk later, I’m really busy at the minute…” Callum doesn’t even try to disguise the lie, the paperwork on his desk is untouched and his laptop showing the Coker and Mitchell screensaver from disuse.

“Callum you can’t disappear for almost two days without a single message, come back with a black eye and god knows what else, and then _not_ talk to me. Tell me what happened!” Callum puts his head in his hands for a second, Whitney not breaking her questioning and impatient stare. She’s right, he knows she’s right, and she deserves better than what he’s giving at the minute, but he’s _so_ tired.

“I got caught up in a job, police training in North London, we got a call and had to drop everything for it. I was working all day and basically collapsed in bed as soon as I got back to our hotel. Sorry I didn’t call you, it was only meant to be an afternoon training but it turned out these guys were up to worse than we thought, didn’t exactly invite us in for a cuppa when we showed up either.” Callum forces a laugh, brushing away the thought of how Ben would’ve appreciated his sarcasm even as he threw a punch in his face. Whitney doesn’t smirk though, instead he receives a sad smile and a gentle touch to his eyebrow, his girlfriend now pouting and offering him an icepack and sex to reward her hero of a fiancé. Callum returns the smile, allowing his fiancé to kiss and fret over him but declining the offer of sex.

\----------

It’s not that Callum doesn’t enjoy sex, he enjoys making Whitney feel good and catch him on a good day he might even allow himself the pleasure on his own, but he never _got_ it. He can walk into the flat and hear his brother and Rainie and he can’t quite imagine what it’s like to have that lack of self-awareness, or at least not care about it enough to keep quiet. It was the same in the army, he thought of it occasionally but sharing a room with 15 other lads, all of whom are trained to wake up at the slightest sound because they were in a literal warzone, it just never seemed that appealing to him.

So later that day, when Whitney returns, bringing him lunch and some chocolates, wearing a very low cut top and having definitely reapplied her lipstick mere seconds ago, it’s not surprising when his heart sinks a little. Not surprising to him anyway. “Hey babe, I brought you some lunch” Callum smiles, “thanks that’s lovely, you didn’t h…”

“No Cal, I’m not having you talk about yourself like that anymore, you are a hero, you’re keeping all of us safe and I know you don’t like me making a fuss but you deserve it.” She takes a seat on his lap, stroking his face, her words are genuine even if she’s exaggerating her actions, Callum doesn’t know if that makes it better or worse. “Please, for once let me show you how proud I am of you.” Callum gives her the most genuine smile he can muster, kissing her and thanking her for the compliment and trying not to offend her as he makes his excuses.

“Whit, I’m at work, what if Stu walks in…”

“Oh loosen up babe, Stu and Rainie are at the caff, I just saw them, it’s just me and you and you’ve been gone sooo long…” Her seductive tone returning and Callum knows he has no more excuses that are worth attempting, he lets her stroke his thigh as she slides down under the table, undoing his flies, he strokes her hair in response and leans his head back.

As he lifts his head forward and opens his eyes just seconds later, he’s suddenly glad that Whitney is under the table and not noticing how he just froze and had to bite his lip. She may have noticed how he suddenly grabbed her hair harshly though, as Ben Mitchell came into focus in the doorway, biting his own lip and giving Callum his trademark smirk. Callum loses all control of his body and mind in that moment, he’d registered Ben’s attractiveness previously but seeing someone after being beaten up by their dad and being in a fit of rage, versus seeing them while you’re being blown under the table at your workplace are two very different images, well, at least in Callum’s mind right now. Ben leans himself against the doorframe, looking way too comfortable for Callum’s liking, he’s licking his lips and placing his hand on his groin, staring straight at Callum. Callum should be intimidated by his lack of shame, he should be embarrassed that he’s being seen like this, he should call out to Whitney and tell her he can’t carry on because the guy who kidnapped him yesterday is literal feet away. But he isn’t intimated and he doesn’t call out. Callum allows himself to stare back at Ben, watching his hands and mouth and tongue and he’s gripping Whitney’s hair and she’s not complaining about the sudden display of passion. He can’t decide whether it was seconds or hours later when he releases, and he can’t decide whether Ben cut it too fine or left too early, but by the time Whitney comes back from under the table, Callum is being praised for allowing himself to relax, and Ben is nowhere to be seen.

_You looked busy, I’ll come back another time – Bx._


	4. Chapter 4

Stuart, Rainie, Callum and Whitney are sat eating a takeaway when the envelope drops through their door, the sound of the letterbox makes Callum jump, his army training so deeply ingrained that Whitney isn’t sure he ever truly relaxes, let alone sleeps.

“What’s that?” Whitney asks, Callum doesn’t respond though, reluctantly getting up and giving Stuart a threatening look, he’s not expecting a thank you note and a bouquet of flowers from the Mitchells but there’s still a tiny hope that the whole ordeal with the family was over and that their postman was just on a late shift for the first time ever. Unfortunately he suspicions are confirmed when he picks up the blank envelope, no fingerprints to see but the vague smell of oil, reminding Callum of his location not twenty four hours ago, as if he needed reminding.

“What is it bruv?”

“Political flyer, Ian Beale, ever the people person. I’ve just gotta pop to the shop for something, now I’m up I may as well go now…” Whitney opens her mouth to protest but her lips close as she hears the door shut. He opens the letter outside and starts to read it, failing to finish before his wrist is grabbed and he’s pulled into the alley next to the parlour. “Wha…” his mouth is covered by his captor’s spare hand, which by now he’s figured out belongs to Ben, the ring a cold metal on his lip.

“Funny isn’t it, how twenty four hours is a different length of time for everyone, for me it was 4 hours ago, and for you, well it seems we haven’t reached it yet, unless maybe we are on the same time system and you’re trying to get us both killed? Because that’s what’ll happen, _mate”_ Ben releases his hand from Callum’s mouth to prod his forehead “You, and you’re thick headed thug of a brother are going to get us all killed. So maybe you can explain _why_ Jay is still in the cophouse and my dad is still waiting for a fucking pigeon to deliver a briefcase, while you’re sitting in the funeral parlour wishing your girlfriend was, well, _me_?” Ben can’t help himself with the last comment, it’s low even for him, but this guy, regardless of how adorable and helpless he may appear, is currently letting his best mate rot in a prison cell.

“It ain’t like that! Whitney she’s…”

“I honestly ain’t interested in your imaginary little love life _Cal_ , I’m interested in why you think you don’t actually have to sort out our little problem, I’m flattered you think I went to all that effort just to get your phone number but that really isn’t my style babe. Now, tell me, what. Are. You. Going. To. Do?” Ben punctuates each word with a prod to Callum’s forehead, each one pushing him to the wall. He’s got his eyes closed and the seconds seem to last hours. “Well? Come on loverboy I ain’t got all day.” Callum notices how the usual casual sarcasm in Ben’s voice is slowly but surely being replaced with pure frustration as he fails to respond or retaliate, and even though part of him is telling him to beg the Mitchell to leave him alone and not hurt him, part of him wants to see just how far he can push it, so he pushes it.

“Listen, _mate,”_ Callum twists his arm free of Ben’s grip and takes a step forward, causing the latter to stumble back, only just catching himself before hitting the wall behind him. “I’ve spoken to Stuart for you because you’re obviously too much of a coward to do it yourself, but I haven’t got anything to do with your stupid little wargames, I’m sorry about your brother but he’s got nothing to do with me, so I suggest you leave me out of it.” Despite having pride in himself for standing up, he’s unnerved by Ben’s reaction, the Mitchell boy now leaning against the opposite wall, smiling and slow clapping.

“Finally, the baby copper grows some balls. Wonder what else he’s hiding? Maybe if I ask nicely I’ll get to see? Tell me why I shouldn’t go upstairs, tell your fiancé your dirty little secret, and kill your brother unless he gives me the money and a statement? See you carry on this way Highway, and we’re both gonna be dead anyway, may as well go out with a wham, bang…” He uses both hands to mime guns, one under Callum’s chin and the other to the side of his own head. 

Ben can’t lie to himself, he’s torn in two over this, he could easily go and confront Stuart himself, get some heavies in to sort him out and let the cop find him in the Thames in a couple of days, but he can’t deny how much fun he’s having. Callum is the most unpredictable man he’s ever met, one minute he’s playing adorable, friendly funeral runner, going to visit old people and letting his girlfriend giving him blowjobs under the table even though he’s embarrassed and blushing the entire time like a virgin. The next minute, he’s standing up to Ben, and Phil for that matter, like he doesn’t give a shit about reputation or the amount of power the Mitchell’s hold in Walford, and he’s giving Ben as much as he takes, then a minute later he’s back to begging for his life and to be left alone.

What can he say? Ben loves a challenge.

Callum can’t lie either when he says he isn’t glad for an excuse to get out of the flat. He doesn’t miss the army, but he does miss the adrenaline he got from tours and feeling like any action he took could change the course of his life. Life with Whitney and Stuart is calm, Stuart does dodgy deals but usually not enough for him to have to step in and prevent imminent danger of any kind. The most excitement he gets from his family since Jonno went down is deciding which takeaway to get, or whether there’ll be a celebrity funeral that’ll bring in enough cash to not have to live with his sibling and future sister in law. It’s why he joined the police, something to get his heart beating again. _Seriously, that’s how dull his lie has gotten, he’ll take a kidnapping from a Mitchell’s psychotic cute son over a takeaway with his girlfriend?_ He shakes himself back to reality, this is ridiculous, even trying to justify it, Chris would be laughing in his face right now. Fucking Chris.

“Fuck off. I’m done with this. If you wanted me dead I’d be dead already, so just fucking do it or put the gun down and leave me alone.”

“Such a knight in shining armour ain’t you? Although I guess you’re used to the hero routine, saving Whitney from her history of lying manipulative cowards? Oh wait.”

“I. Ain’t. Like. That.”

“Oh yeah? What’s this then, because last I checked I’m the only one armed here.” Ben winks, stroking Callum’s thigh, brushing his crotch only slightly, it’s enough to make Callum wince though. “How about we go upstairs?” Ben jokes, Callum unimpressed entirely by Ben’s regain of control over the situation, mad at himself for how easily he’s crumbling under Ben’s touch.

“I said, SHUT UP.”

“Make me.” Callum shakes his head, everything freezes for the longest moment but then Callum loses all control, grabbing Ben’s face and pulling it towards his own, not even taking a breath before their lips meet, ensuring their kiss is desperate and full of deep sighs and moans that honestly Ben cannot get enough of. Callum isn’t in his own head anymore, he’s not in the alley next to his flat, he doesn’t have a girlfriend and his brother isn’t upstairs expecting him to come back with ice cream and beer in two minutes, it’s just him and Ben now. Ben’s head hits the wall behind him and Ben’s taking his own coat off and discarding it below them, if that was Whitney he’d have tripped over it by now and he’d be stumbling back to bed, with Ben though it’s smooth and his body is on autopilot and everything is working. Callum is ripping his own coat off now, attempting to undo Ben’s belt at the same time. He’s desperate for it now, both boys in some act of rebellion against their current lives, it’s only when Callum pushes his hand under Ben’s boxers that he clicks back into reality, he’s never done this before. Of course he’s never done this before. Ben notices the hesitation and moves a couple centimetres back, the lust is still filled in Callum’s eyes even with the doubt he now possesses. So Ben takes the opportunity to take back control, giving Callum a final press of his lips, then falling to his own knees and allowing the taller man’s hands to get lost in his hair.

“This was you was imagining yesterday, lover boy?” Ben winks before delicately freeing Callum from his jeans. Callum groans, half annoyance at the younger’s taunts, half desperation, either way he’s getting his wish of making him shut the fuck up.

Callum almost couldn’t believe these were the same hands that had tied him up yesterday, now navigating his body like it was the most fragile thing on earth. He licks at the tip cautiously to begin with but Callum’s hand tenses in his hair and he can’t resist any more, he wants Callum to push back, surrender under him but stand up to him. That’s the thing about Callum, everyone else who stands up to Ben is looking down on him, pitying him, but not Callum, Callum stands up to him as an equal, and the balance here is almost perfect. Callum looks down on him now but he’s surrendering to him, he needs Ben as much as Ben needs him, even if he won’t admit it in half an hour when he’s back upstairs playing happy families. Callum gains his confidence back, gripping and using Ben, remembering earlier how Ben had been so proud of himself, just watching. How Ben looked so keen to be used by him and how much Callum had wanted to use him. Ben is looking straight up at Callum, the tears in his eyes caused by Callum’s rough grip in his hair and dick hitting the back of his throat; they’re almost twinkling in the brief spells of streetlight, giving a contradictory illusion of innocence. Callum has his head tilted back, not necessarily by choice, more by desperation to get at close as he possibly can to the man in front of him.

“Shit Ben, I’m gonna, fuckk you should…” Ben takes Callum in further at his protestations, surprised Callum had even lasted long enough to warn him, being no doubt his first time with a bloke. He swallows around Callum’s pulsating length, moaning and vibrating around the sensitive skin, still maintaining his trademark smirk as Callum cums down his throat.

Callum sighs heavily as he comes down from his high, Ben tucking him back into his jeans, patting his thighs as if Callum was a job he’d just completed at the car lot. Callum’s legs are shaking still and he daren’t move away from the wall in fear of tripping over. Ben eventually gets to his feet, brushing himself off and placing a bent finger under Callum’s chin to bring his face down to make eye contact. The fear has returned in Callum, any sense of comfort he’d felt a few minutes ago, any pretend scenes he’d created in which he didn’t have a girlfriend or a homophobic brother had fizzled out and he was back to being ordinary baby-copper, happy-families, Callum. Well, except now he was really in the shit with this particular Mitchell. “Now, I’d offer you round 2 but I think you’ve got business to attend to, don’t you, Highway?” Callum cringes at the coldness, he doesn’t know what he expected, but he can’t deny the feeling of his heart sinking at Ben’s words. Ben who is now walking away, leaving him in the alleyway next to his flat, whistling as he walks, turning back only to say “tick tock, Mr Copper, I haven’t got all night.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a rubbish filler chapter ngl, I've started back work again so just trying to get back into writing.

It’s not that Callum isn’t scared of the Mitchells, that would be ignorant beyond sanity, but that’s how he knows that if Ben Mitchell really truly wanted him dead, he’d have been found in the Thames by now, probably alongside Stuart, leaving Rainie to pick up the pieces and pay the debts. He was playing along with Ben’s game, and he’d pretty much figured the young Mitchell out, unfortunately he didn’t realise just quite how similar they’d turn out to be. Both of them stuck in a limbo of trying to be the son their dad wanted, while also fighting against them the entire time, now playing a tug of war with each other, daring each other to crack.

Callum goes straight to bed after his encounter with Ben, skipping the takeaway and feigning sudden illness. He’s lying in his and Whitney’s bed, pretending to be asleep, a skill he’d perfected over his life, closing his eyes and hiding from flying bottles, drunken words, bare hands, and a constant doubt in his own mind that he’d never be the man his father raised him to be. He can hear Whitney expressing her concern in the next room, his brother joking about, and he can hear Rainie’s slip of the tongue when she mentions to Whitney how Callum is probably just scared because of the Mitchells. He takes a deep breath, wishing nothing more than for Rainie to have not said that.

“What?” Whitney freezes, the name coming from nowhere, she looks back and forth from Stuart to Rainie, every millisecond sees Stuart’s face expressing more and more guilt. “What have you done!? Stuart??”

“It’s nothing, it’s sorted now, Cal said he didn’t feel well, he’s probably just coming down with something, let’s just let him sleep yeah?”

“No Stuart, tell me what’s going on, I want the truth. Rainie?” Rainie bites her lip and sinks into her chair, clutching her bag of prawn crackers like her life depended on it.

“I may have gone back on a deal with Phil, nothing major, but his boy’s in the doghouse right now because of it and he ain’t too happy, they had a quick word with Cal yesterday, he’s been shaken up ever since.”

“You put Ben Mitchell in prison!?”

“Nah, no, the other one, Jay, may have forced some evidence into a copper’s hands, he got what was coming to him. I think Ben’s the one who’s threatened Cal.”

“WHY DIDN’T HE TELL ME THIS YESTERDAY? Why didn’t YOU tell me this yesterday!? Callum said he was away on work? Was he?? Or was he dealing with your fuck up!? Jesus Christ Stuart, tell me you’ve sorted this now.” Stuart shifts in his seat, visibly uncomfortable and unable to lie to his brother’s fiancé.

“I don’t think he was away on business, Whit, look don’t tell him I told you this, he wouldn’t want you to worry.”

“I AM worried Stu! My soon-to-be husband has been kidnapped and threatened by the most powerful family in London because of his idiot big brother, and you’re telling me not to worry!?”  
“I’m getting the money for Phil and I’ll speak to the coppers about Jay soon, I’m in the middle of a bigger deal right now, I can’t mess this up, if this goes through it’ll pay for all our weddings!”

“If you don’t sort this out there won’t be anyone left to get married!”

Callum wants to cover his ears and stop listening but he can’t, and now he knows why Ben came earlier, Stuart was nowhere near ending this, starting a new deal no less. His heart breaks for Whitney, fighting his battles even when he’s not around, never even considering that Callum is hiding as much as Stuart, maybe even more.

The next morning, Callum wakes up early, eventually allowing himself to fall asleep for real a couple of hours after Whitney joins him in bed. He goes for a run around 5am. Usually he runs to feel in control, the wind in his hair and no-one bothering him through his headphones, he usually enjoys running. This morning though, those twenty-six minutes and forty-three seconds drag, he’d decided against headphones and spent most of the time looking over his shoulder, surprised every time he missed a lamppost or didn’t get run over by a car that was slightly too close to the curb. Usually a run wakes him up, not this one.

Back at the flat he’s greeted by Stuart, slightly too chipper for his liking, even by Callum’s standards, and he responds to his older sibling in grunts and single syllables. “Morning bruv!”

“Morning.”

“Anything planned today? I was thinkin we could all go Walford East later, wish Ruby some good luck y’know??”

Callum puts his mug down and turns to stare at his brother in disbelief, maybe timetravel is real and Stuart is living in a parallel universe where he hasn’t completely fucked everyone over and put everyone’s lives in danger? “Are you out of your mind!?”

“What? You’re not still stressed about the Mitchells are you? Bruv that’s what they want, they want you to be scared, thinking about them all the time, they want to be control, you gotta show them who’s in charge here, aka Walford’s finest copper, you’re gonna be the first copper to take down the Mitchells!”

Callum shakes his head, mouth agape. He ditches his tea and walks towards the door. “I’m going to work.”

“Highway turn your phone off would you? You’re meant to be working.” Callum is broken out of his trance by DI Thompson, sitting at the desk opposite him. Thompson had been assigned as his mentor, and as far as Callum could tell, he was hardly one to be criticising others for slacking. Callum stutters an apology despite this, shaky hands turning his phone onto silent and dropping it on the floor as he reaches to put it in his pocket. He can hear his DI roll his eyes while he’s under the table and curses himself for his own awkwardness. “I’d tell you to make yourself useful and get me a coffee but probably best not for health and safety eh?” Callum blushes in embarrassment, returning to his seat and trying to make himself look busy, he’s not been there long enough to have a stack of cases to be working on so he scrolls aimlessly through the training manual he’s meant to have read, half expecting a page that just says LEAVE PHIL MITCHELL ALONE. He can still feel his phone vibrating in his pocket but daren’t check.

About an hour goes by before Thompson breaks the silence again, this time cursing and throwing his mouse and keyboard at the screen. “FUCKSAKE.” Callum jumps at the sound,

“uhm, what is it, sir?”

“Fucking Mitchells. Ugh they’re so fucking ughh” Callum blinks, hoping not to have to ask for more details but instead Thompson puts his head in his hands, tearing at his hair.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“This ain’t therapy Highway Jesus Christ. I’ve just got an email from Ritchie Scott. She says if Jay Brown goes to trial then she’s defending him.”

“Who’s…”

“Phil’s lawyer. Every time we get close to putting those thugs behind bars, she’s the one that pulls the rug out. No idea how she does it but every time.”

“How does she win cases if they’re guilty though?”

“She stops trials going to court where she can, failing that, they give her solid alibies, she makes a solid case that even though everyone knows is utter bullshit, there’s somehow more proof that it’s true than the actual truth. She must be fucking rich I’m telling you, she ain’t doing this on council lawyer wages.”

“And she’s gonna defend Jay?”

“May as well let the kid out now, save us the energy. Fucksake.” Although Callum knows Thompson is exaggerating, his heart kind of skipped a beat hearing that, a small hope that maybe all of his troubles can go away, well at least half of them anyway. “Listen, how serious are you about being here, kid?”

“Me? Uhm, very, I’ve always wanted to help people and after…”

“I don’t need a sob story kid, I’m saying, if you’re serious about working in the force, you either pretend the Mitchells don’t exist, or you dedicate your life to taking them down. Either way you make a lot of enemies, if I were you kid, I’d pick a side sooner rather than later, if this trial even goes to court they’re gonna be recruiting for it and you either wanna be first one in the door or working on a case far away from here when it all blows up. You understand me?”

“Yes sir, I guess.”

________________

*Whitney Dean: 16 missed calls*

*BM: 1 unread message*


End file.
